Justice: Astros’ Pence takes lead despite dire times

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Just to show you everything isn’t broken with the Astros, there’s Hunter Pence.

Losing hasn’t changed his work ethic, enthusiasm or passion. He once said he had to play angry to play well, and sometimes he does seem angry. He also shows up early, goes hard and is among baseball’s most productive players.

There was a time early in his career when veteran teammates predicted he simply couldn’t continue doing everything so fast, and Pence admits there are days he probably does hurt himself by doing too much pregame work.

But midway through the worst season the Astros have had, Pence is in the National League’s top 10 in an assortment of offensive categories, including batting average (sixth), RBIs (seventh), doubles (first) and hits (third).

His consistency is equally as impressive. He hit 25 home runs in three straight seasons and batted .282 in the past two. This season, his batting average is up, but his homers are down.

At his current, pace, Pence will finish the year with 44 doubles, 18 home runs and 106 RBIs. He’s the only feared hitter in a weak lineup, yet he continues to produce.

“I just try to give it everything I have,” Pence, 28, said. “That’s how I compete. It’s a team sport. There’s no individual success that matters at all.”

He also has become the face of the franchise. When Pence arrived four years ago, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt were around and he was the wide-eyed kid trying to prove he belonged.

Appreciates the support

They’re gone, and Pence sells the most jerseys and is the player most identified with the Astros.

“It’s surreal,” he said. “It’s really amazing. The support the fans give really makes me feel better. I don’t think of myself as anything special. It’s comforting to know how great the people of Houston have treated me.

“It also weighs on me. I feel like I’m letting them down because we’re not winning.”

Astros general manager Ed Wade soon will be listening to offers for players as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. His toughest decision could be on Pence, who could fetch a top prospect — or perhaps two or three top prospects — and speed the reconstruction of a terrible minor league system.

He’s also young enough to be an impact player when the Astros are good again.

Wade won’t say what he’s thinking. Pence said his preference is to ride out the tough times.

“This is where I want to be,” he said. “This is where I want to win. That would be a lot more satisfying — to turn it around for the guys who believed in me. That’s my vision.”

Fighting futility

Pence is likely to make the NL All-Star team for the second time in three years, but in a season when so much has gone wrong, he can’t bring himself to celebrate personal accomplishments.

“Like I said, it weighs on me that we’re not winning,” he said. “I feel I owe it to the Houston fans to do what I can to bring a winner here.

“I look at every day as an opportunity to get better,” Pence said. “It’s not the result that we want right now, but it’s what we have. We’ve got to get better. Every day is the day we’re going to turn it around. I’ve got to take everything from every moment that I have. This is where we’re at, and it’s a reflection on me. I’m supposed to be the leader on this team.

“I continue to put my heart and soul into it and to give it everything I’ve got. I know it’s not going to stay this way forever.”